On July 24, Skift Research analyst Robin Gilbert-Jones and Skift Travel Experiences Reporter Jesse Chase-Lubitz discussed the emergence of regenerative tourism and the potential impact of the post-pandemic "build back better" concept.
Here are five key takeaways from the discussion:
1. Definition and Scope of Regenerative Tourism: Regenerative tourism is a concept that goes beyond sustainable tourism. While sustainable tourism focuses on mitigating negative impacts, regenerative tourism aims to leverage tourism to maximize positive impacts, benefiting the environment, communities, and society as a whole. It is more about embedding tourism as a force for good in a holistic way.
2. Challenges and Frameworks: There are significant challenges in defining, measuring, and managing regenerative tourism. Unlike sustainable tourism, regenerative tourism lacks a broadly accepted definition and standardized metrics. This makes it difficult to scale and apply uniformly across different sites and contexts. However, frameworks like materiality assessments, which determine the most important metrics to track based on specific contexts, could potentially be applied to regenerative tourism.
3. Consumer Demand and Market Appetite: There is a growing consumer demand for tourism practices that align with the values of regenerative tourism. Research shows that post-COVID-19, travelers are more concerned about the impacts of tourism on local communities, cultural preservation, and environmental sustainability. Younger generations, in particular, are more skeptical of greenwashing and are willing to pay a premium for more sustainable and regenerative travel options.
4. Examples of Regenerative Tourism: Several innovative examples of regenerative tourism were discussed, such as the Eden Project in the UK, which transformed an abandoned clay pit into a world-renowned botanical garden and education center. New Zealand's Bay of Plenty and Queensland's eco-tourism projects also illustrate how regenerative tourism can be site-specific and leverage local cultural heritage and indigenous wisdom.
5. Greenwashing and Credibility: Greenwashing remains a significant concern in the travel industry, with many companies facing scrutiny for making unsubstantiated sustainability claims. To gain credibility and consumer trust, travel businesses should commit to science-based CO2 targets and possibly third-party certifications. These actions demonstrate a genuine commitment to sustainability and can help differentiate serious efforts from mere marketing claims.
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